


The Heart is a Bloom

by Volavi



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Flash Fic, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Just a little angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 04:13:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20772341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Volavi/pseuds/Volavi
Summary: Dick and Jason haven't been dating, exactly, but they've been doing something. Dick is ready to get more serious, but when his Valentine's Day gift to Jason is unreciprocated, he decides he's going to wash that man right out of his hair. Or at least his pores with a lovely face mask. Which leads to an embarrassing situation with Jason Todd of all people.





	The Heart is a Bloom

**Author's Note:**

> Rating is just to be on the safe side since some sexual acts are referenced by don't take place in the main narrative. There's some angst at the beginning since Dick is sad, but the ending is happy.

On February 15, Dick decided that he wished he'd never met Jason Todd.

Or at least, had never flirted with Jason Todd. Never made out with Jason Todd on the rooftop of Wayne Enterprises, or St Paul's Cathedral, or the GothCorp building. Or that nearly ill-advised time in Titans Tower. Never been distracted by Jason Todd's biceps, or shoulders, or abs.

Though Dick couldn't regret having been distracted by Jason's thighs because they were truly things of beauty. 

Someone once said that wine was proof that God existed and wanted humans to be happy. For a brief, electric time from roughly late October to mid-February, Dick had thought that Jason Todd's thighs were proof that God existed, and the fact that Dick got to spend time worshipping them was proof that God wanted Dick, personally, to be happy.

That had all come crashing down on Valentine's Day.

Which is why now, the day after that cursed, so-called holiday, Dick was wrapped up in a ratty but comfy terry cloth bathrobe, applying a sparkling pink ”My Little Pony” Glitter Mask on his face. The mask had been a tongue in cheek present from Babs, but the plan was courtesy of Donna. She'd suggested that Dick take his mind off of his woes with a nice, relaxing bath, followed by a facemask, and then she'd come over with a bottle of wine and they'd watch dumb movies.

"I'm just so embarrassed," Dick had admitted over the phone to her earlier that day.

"I know, sweetie."

"I can't believe that I misread his signals so badly. I'm supposed to be good at this part of relationships at least - the fun part, the getting together part. I've never had such a complete and total failure like this before."

"Honey, you didn't fail. You did nothing wrong, and if you misinterpreted where the relationship was headed, then that's just as much on him as on you."

"I knew we weren't serious or exclusive, but I thought we were at least something. Not nothing. Not non-existent."

"You really think the relationship - thing - whatever with Jason is non-existent?"

"How could I not? I left a box of cookies shaped like bullets with hearts on them in his favorite safehouse at 1 a.m. yesterday and told him during patrol to be sure to crash there after patrol, and I heard nothing. I wasn't expecting a delivery of a dozen roses or anything crazy, but he didn't even acknowledge it was Valentine's Day. Not a text. Not a card. Not even a thank you for the cookies."

"I expected more from him, you're right, but maybe he just got scared?"

“Scared of what? Rejection? He can have me if he wants me, and I couldn’t have been more clear.”

Donna tutted and sighed and said "Oh sweetie" again and that's when she'd come up with the plan. 

So Dick finished applying the last of the mask to his face and glanced at himself in the mirror. The mask, already starting to harden and in a minute or two he doubted he’d be able to smile even if he wanted to, a true pink, brighter and darker than bubblegum pink, and was thick enough that no trace of his natural skin showed through. He’d left ovals around his eyes clear, and around his lips, but other than that, the vibrant pink covered his face from his jawline to nearly his hairline. And it was even more glittery than the package had promised. He snapped a selfie and texted it to Donna and Babs, knowing they’d get a laugh out of his appearance if nothing else, and then glanced at the timer on his phone. Nineteen minutes left. Ugh. What was he going to do to kill that much time before he could peel this thing off?

Dick knew if he tried to watch tv or read he’d start thinking about Jason again, and that wouldn’t lead anywhere good. Dick had replayed the last four months over and over already, from the first awkward flirtations to the first kiss on a rooftop, right after a nasty fight, adrenaline pumping and that feeling of disbelief when he couldn't quite believe that they’d both survived. Something about that kiss had been life-affirming and exhilarating like the moment of freefall when grappling from rooftop to rooftop. When they’d pulled apart, breathless and awkward, they’d said it was a one-off, just a momentary lapse in judgement since they’d both thought they were going to die, and it wouldn’t happen again, it had happened again.

More desperate makeout sessions, snatched on patrol, hiding from the other bats and from any cameras, turning into gloved fingers undoing zippers, fumbling but needy blowjobs. Sometimes they’d go for days, even weeks, without even seeing each other, but always they’d end up acting like horny teenagers again, unable to keep their hands off of each other. 

But they’d done other things too. Shared coffee halfway through patrol, long text conversations about everything and nothing, and on two separate occasions, grabbing a chili dog and eating it on a rooftop as dawn broke over the bay. 

Nothing like a date though.

Nothing out of uniform.

No going back to each other’s places.

So when Dick had left that Valentine’s gift for Jason, maybe that’s where he’d gone wrong. It was Dick making a romantic gesture to Jason, not Nightwing and Red Hood releasing some steam. 

Still. 

Dick had expected something in response.

A knock sounded at the door. Dick glanced at the time - Donna was a bit early but she would hardly care that he was still in his robe and had a pink glitter mask all over his face. 

“Coming,” he called as he strode toward the door. Donna had a key, of course, but one-too-many unannounced visits from his super when he’d still been in the Nightwing suit had Dick install a deadbolt. 

Dick swung the door wide to reveal not Donna but Jason, tall and broad in a beat-up black (not part of his uniform, no armor, the detective part of Dick’s brain noted, small leather bag over one shoulder, at least three hidden weapons) leather jacket.

“Um, yes? Jason?” and Dick’s not sure why he phrased that as a question, because he knows who just he answered the door to, but also, what the heck was Jason doing here, and surely there was definitely not a god, or at least, if there was a god he/she/they sure had a messed up sense of humor, because Dick was wearing nothing but a bathrobe (not even a nice one!) and a Pinkie Pie themed glitter face mask.

Maybe Jason was feeling equally caught off guard, because he shifted his weight between one foot and the other and cleared his throat before he said, “Um, yeah, right, I was going to apologize for not doing anything yesterday and ask you out to see a movie, a date but if I have I caught you at a bad time, I can call?” The whole time he spoke, he kept his gaze firmly at Dick’s feet.

“No,” Dick said, and then, realizing it sounded like he was refusing the offer, immediately clarified, “I mean, no, it’s not a bad time,” and if he was maybe talking almost as fast as Wally, well, at least Jason had some experience with speedsters.

“So.” Jason’s eyes flicked up to Dick’s pink, glittering face, then down to Dick’s bare chest, where the robe was certainly not helping the situation be any less awkward by gaping open, then back down to his feet. “Movie? Tonight? Um, I can come back later. How much time do you need?”

Dick thought furiously for a second, hoping that his blush was obscured by the mask, and said, “Give me twenty minutes. Stay - you can wait in the living room while I get this goop off my face.”

“And put on clothes? I mean, you can wear whatever you’re comfortable in. Of course. Not that you don’t look great in what you have on now. I mean. I wasn’t looking.” 

Dick chuckled. Jason’s awkward little display was actually starting to make Dick feel more confident. “Yes. Clothes. For now.” With a coy glance over his shoulder, as he headed towards the bathroom, he added, “Whether or not you see me without them again depends entirely on how good your explanation for forgetting Valentine’s Day is, and how well this date goes.”

“Well, I do have something to start making it up to you,” Jason said as he pulls his backpack off his shoulder. He opened it and handed Dick a small box made out of cellophane and cardboard. 

Dick couldn’t tell what’s inside until he held it up to his face and peered inside, but it brings a smile to his face. “A chocolate elephant. Thank you, Jason, it’s perfect.”

Now finally meeting Dick’s eyes, Jason smirked just a little, a sign that he’s regaining his equilibrium. “Well, if I had known you liked “My Little Pony,” I coulda bought you Twilight Sparkle.”

**Author's Note:**

> This story is loosely based on something that happened to me, except I was wearing a green clay mud mask. And sadly I'm not Dick Grayson. But I'm still together with the guy!
> 
> I was trying to come up with a good idea for the meet-cute prompt, and while this isn't a "how we met" story, I don't think I would have written� this fic if it hadn't been for the flashfic prompt.


End file.
